Classic and James Bond films unite
Sherlock Holmes is, arguably, the most famous literary detective in history. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce made fourteen Holmes films for 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures, Robert Downey Jr starred as the gentleman sleuth twice, the BBC made a very successful series that modernised the character, and that’s not even mentioning the numerous radio… Continue reading A Royal Conspiracy: Murder by Decree (1979)
My late father was French-Mauritian, a distinction that he always made very clear to people. And I think that is perhaps why he was such a devotee of Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective. My father took great delight in the parts where British characters insulted Poirot by calling him a French so and so, and… Continue reading You’re the Top!: Diana Rigg in “Evil Under the Sun” (1982)
Whilst most people think of James Cameron’s blockbuster when anyone brings up the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the Roy Ward Baker, Rank distributed film, A Night To Remember, put in place many of the things that would later make Cameron’s film what it was. Cameron was influenced in his crafting of the film by… Continue reading Tragedy for the masses: A Night to Remember (1958)
Strap in my pretties, because after weeks of checking your warning system, battening down the hatches, and building up your supply of plum preserve and peaches in syrup, the Second Disaster Blogathon has whirled into— erm— town…? So without further ado, get into your cellar and light your paraffin lamps as the Blogathon posts rush… Continue reading The Second Disaster Blogathon has arrived!
Whilst every element of Bond films, from the Bond actor to the cars, gadgets and locations are stuff of pop culture legend; one of the most iconic, and often derided elements, is that of the Bond “girl”. She is not only the part of the Bond films that humanises Bond himself, but also a critical… Continue reading Announcing the Other Than A Bond Girl Blogathon
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen is one of the greatest, and most influential, authors to ever live. Her six completed novels have been translated into about thirty five languages, and Pride and Prejudice alone has sold some 20 million copies. In addition to being one of the best selling authors of… Continue reading Passion and Perseverance: Sense and Sensibility (1995)
I am incredibly excited about this particular Blogathon because not only is it dedicated to one of my favourite genres, costume films, but it’s also the first Blogathon that I am cohosting with the wonderful Paul from Silver Screen Classics. This is bound to be a wonderful two days of reading about some of the… Continue reading The Bonnets and Bustles: Costume Blogathon has arrived!
Based on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ famous epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, Stephen Frears’ 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons is undoubtedly one of the best costume dramas ever made. Whilst that may sound like an overstatement, it really isn’t. Every aspect of the film’s production is utter perfection, from Frears’ direction, to the performances of the… Continue reading The Danger of Desire: Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Almost immediately after its 1997 release, it became fashionable to dislike, criticise or “hate on” Titanic. This isn’t something specific to this juggernaut historical blockbuster. The trend of massively commercially successful movies that also garner critical acclaim in spite of their commercial success, stretches pretty far back, and there are ample examples. But Titanic is… Continue reading Why Titanic Isn’t Actually Terrible
My co-host for You Knew My Name: The Bond Not Bond Blogathon, the lovely Gill, nominated me for the Pick A Movie Tag. She invited me to write about my top five “hotties” wink, wink, and because I have a charitable heart and am not at all a person who enjoys talking about how handsome… Continue reading The Captain(s) of My Heart
Pale Writer 